In another sign that air travel is on the rise, the Southwest has told 3,000 attendants and pilots that they will have to return to work this summer.
The Southwest has been able to avoid layoffs as compared to other airlines during last year’s downturn.
Voluntary Leave Of Absence
It achieved that after 4,000 of its 61,000 employees took buy-outs and early retirement packages. The Southwest also encouraged other workers to take voluntary leave of absence, allowing them to continue with reduced costs and benefits if they did so.
But with the return of a flight movements and bookings, the Southwest says it will call back all those who work in aviation currently on a voluntary holiday – more than 2,700 of them. They need to “support the coming summer program,” spokesman Brian Parrish told CNN.
The airline also said it call back 209 pilots from similar leaves of absence. Some staff members, including about 800 pilots, will be on leave, he said.
Aviation Industry
The flights and airline groups were aided by three rounds of government wage support to keep most of its employees working. But many other airlines, such as American Airlines (AAL) and United (UAL), furloughed employees during lapses the various government grant programs.
Now airlines are adding capacity and preparing for a busy summer travel season, fueled by pent up interest in traveling, a vaccinated public more confident in venturing out, and customers holding vouchers for trips canceled during the pandemic. Southwest is adding multiple new airports to its flight schedules.
On March 15 the Southwest said business travel continued to lag, but leisure passenger bookings were up for March and April, with beach and other vacation destinations doing particularly well.
